Heat exchange elements



March 19, 1963 HATsUo KAwANo HEAT EXCHANGE ELEMENTS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. l5, 1959 wvaNroR HATSUD KAWAA/o Maldl 19, 1963 HATsUo KAwANo HEAT EXCHANGE ELEMENTS 3 Sheets-*Sheet 2 Filed Sept. l5, 1959 Fri.: x I

March 19, 1963 HATsuo KAwANo 3,081,825

HEAT EXCHANGE ELEMENTS Filed Sept. 15, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 mwen/ran 3,0125 HEAT EXCHANGE ELEMENTS Ha'tsuo lawano, 16 3-chome, Ilitaizuocho, Taisho-iru, saira, Japan Filed Sept. 15, 1959, Ser. No. 849,131 3 Claims. (Cl. 165-182) This invention relates to heat exchange elements for air coolers, air heaters, oil coolers, oil heaters and the like.

The object of the present invention is to provide means to increase the thermal etliciency and strength.

With this object in View, the present invention provides a heat exchange element, wherein a number of ns and spacers having a pair of wings are alternately inserted on a iin-tube and then the iin-tube is expanded to secure iirmly the ns and spacers by forcing a die of slightly greater outer diameter than the inner diameter of the in-tube therein. A pair of projections are formed opposite to each other at outer portions of each surface of each fin, and each wing of the spacers is tted between each pair of projections.

According to the present invention, not only the hns are iirmly secured to their accurate positions, but also they are supported iirmly by means of the wings of the spacers. Therefore, comparatively thin tins being able to be used, the material can be saved as well as the heating or cooling etiiciency can be increased. Moreover, the tin-tube being expanded by forcing a `die therein after the tins and spacers are inserted, the assembly is very easy.

Other and the further objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification and claims taken together with the accompanying drawings in which is shown the preferred embodiment of the heat exchange element according to the present invention.

FIG. l is a perspective view of a material of spacers according to the present invention.

"1G 2 is a perspective view of a iin, a spacer and a iintube according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation showing assembly of a heat exchange element according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation of a heat exchange element embodying the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 4.

FiG. 6 is an elevation of a part of a modified heat exchange element embodying the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a iin and spacer of FIG. 6.

As shown in FIG. l, a number of aluminium spacers 11 provided with a pair of wings 12 are made by cutting ot a tube 13 along the lines 14 successively. A pair of projections 15 adapted for insertion of the wing 12 therebetween are pressed out opposite to each other at the outer portions of each surface of each aluminium iin 16. A number of the ns 16 and the spacers 11 are Iloosely inserted alternately on a copper iin-tube 1S fitting the wings 12 between the projections 16 respectively, and then a die 19 of slightly greater outer diameter than the inner diameter of the tin-tube 18 is forced therein. Thus the intube 1S is expanded to secure firmly the hns 16 and the spacers 11.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a modied heat exchange element in which the ns 16 and the spacers 11 provided with two elongated holes 161 and 111 respectively are alternately inserted 0n two iin-tubes l.

lt is thought that the invention and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it is apparent that various changes may be made in the forms, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing its material advantages, the form h-ereinbeore described and illustrated in the drawings being merely a preerred embodiment thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A heat exchange element comprising, in combination, a tube for conducting a heat transfer medium, a plurality of fins along said tube spaced from each other and each consisting of a substantially ilat plate having at least one aperture therein through which said tube passes and having spaced projections thereon, and spacers between said tins and spacing them from each other, each spacer consisting of at least one ring fitting around said tube and a plurality of radially outwardly extending tabs on said ring having a radial dimension substantially equal to the radial dimension of said plates and having a dimension parallel to the axis of said tube substantially equal to the axial dimension of said ring, said tabs iitting between and being retained by said projections on said plates.

2. A heat exchange element as claimed in claim f1 in which said spacers each have two diametrically opposed tabs projecting therefrom and said aperture in said plate is centrally located therein.

3. A heat exchange element comprising, in combination, a plurality of tubes for conducting a heat transfer medium, a plurality of tins along said tubes spaced from each other and each consisting of a substantially at plate having a plurality of apertures therein through which said tubes pass, and spacers between said fins and spacing them from each other, each spacer consisting of a plurality of rings iitting around said tubes and a plurality of radially outwardly extending tabs on said rings, said tabs having a dimension parallel to the axis of said tubes substantially equal to the axial dimension of said rings, there being at least one tab on each ring projecting toward the next adjacent ring and being joined to the tab on said next adjacent ring which projects toward said each ring, and the remaining tabs on said rings having a dimension on the radial direction thereof sufiicient to bring said tabs t0 the edges of said plates.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 933,371 Kane Sept. 7, 1909 1,630,749 Kjerner May 31, 1927 1,720,334 Langensiepen luly 9, 1929 1,788,474 Trane Jan. 13, 1931 2,536,961 Collier Apr. 7, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 377,006 France June 28, 1907 

1. A HEAT EXCHANGE ELEMENT COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A TUBE FOR CONDUCTING A HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM, A PLURALITY OF FINS ALONG SAID TUBE SPACED FROM EACH OTHER AND EACH CONSISTING OF A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT PLATE HAVING AT LEAST ONE APERTURE THEREIN THROUGH WHICH SAID TUBE PASSES AND HAVING SPACED PROJECTIONS THEREON, AND SPACERS BETWEEN SAID FINS AND SPACING THEM FROM EACH OTHER, EACH SPACER CONSISTING OF AT LEAST ONE RING FITTING AROUND SAID TUBE AND A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY OUTWARDLY EXTENDING TABS ON SAID RING HAVING A RADIAL DIMENSION SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE RADIAL DIMENSION OF SAID PLATES AND HAVING A DIMENSION PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID TUBE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE AXIAL DIMENSION OF SAID RING, SAID TABS FITTING BETWEEN AND BEING RETAINED BY SAID PROJECTIONS ON SAID PLATES. 